[BOOK2]
*****
I want her.
I want her more than I've ever wanted anything.
But I can't have her. Because the moment I admit that out loud, the moment I risk everything we've built, I could lose her.
And losing Isla? That's not an option.
*******
Is...
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"So, let me get this straight." Mum's voice cuts through the kitchen, sharp and incredulous as she chops vegetables. "You haven't confessed to Theo because you haven't had the right time, and it's been three days since you asked me for advice?"
I sink deeper into my seat at the kitchen table, feeling the weight of the last few days crash over me again. I should've been dealing with this by now. Instead, I've been avoiding it, hoping the universe would just hand me a damn sign.
Before I can come up with a response, there's a knock on the door, and Mum calls out without even looking up from her chopping board. "It's open!"
Aunt Jen walks in, Lisa trailing behind her, pushing Joshua in his stroller. She's got that easy confidence about her that makes everything look effortless.
"Lils," Aunt Jen calls, her voice warm as she slides a five-pound note across the counter to my mum. I watch, puzzled.
"Isla, baby, I bet your mum that you wouldn't figure out your feelings for Theo until you graduated university, and she bet before that," Aunt Jen adds, a playful smirk tugging at her lips.
I freeze.
Mum looks over at me, raising an eyebrow. "Well, it's a good thing I'm about to win, then."
My face flushes, and I glance between the two of them. "Wait—what? You both bet on me?"
Aunt Jen laughs. "You've been in denial for years, love. We had to place our bets. Don't look so shocked. We both knew it was just a matter of time before you'd figure it out."
Mum shakes her head, smiling but still with that knowing glint in her eye. "And I was right, as usual."
I feel the heat of their teasing press down on me, the reality of the situation crashing in. It's not just about Theo anymore—it's about everyone around me seeing it but me.
"Alright, alright, I get it," I mutter, crossing my arms over my chest, suddenly feeling like I'm sixteen again, getting caught in some embarrassing moment I can't escape.
Aunt Jen raises her hands in mock surrender. "Hey, no judgment here, kid. We just knew."
I turn to look at Mum, who's still chopping away, but now with a satisfied little grin on her face. "Seriously? You bet on this?"
Mum shrugs nonchalantly, glancing up. "What can I say? I'm a woman of many talents, and one of them is knowing my daughter's heart better than she does."
I groan and slump back in my chair, burying my face in my hands. "I can't even—"
Aunt Jen's laughter rings out, and she sits down at the table, the warmth of her presence filling the room. "You don't have to have it all figured out today, Isla. But you need to admit it to yourself, at least."
I look up, meeting her gaze. "I know, okay? But that doesn't make it any easier."
Mum's smile softens, and she walks over to squeeze my shoulder. "I'm not saying it will be easy, darling. But I've never seen two people who should be together more than you and Theo."
